10 Old School Kitchen Decor Tips We Learned From Martha Stewart

Long before Instagram and TikTok were breeding content creators like bunnies, there was Martha Stewart: the very first lifestyle influencer. Having become America's first female self-made billionaire in 1999 — on the back of a domestic empire, no less — there is endless inspiration to be found in her journey from part-time model to media mogul. And, if you end up looking really closely, you might even find a few nostalgic decor ideas to incorporate into your own kitchen.

Over the years, Stewart has maintained loyal fidelity to her classic country-style aesthetic, and this design memo continues to live on in her kitchens today. There is the signature overhead copper display, of course, but that isn't all there is to learn here. Martha's kitchen features a charming blend of modern conveniences furnished with vintage touches, such as brass hardware and copper plate racks. Avant-garde geometric water fixtures? No, thank you. Stewart would much rather turn on an industrial brass spout every morning. If you are looking to dial up the nostalgia in your kitchen, bookmark these old-school kitchen decor tips that Martha Stewart swears by.

The fact that Martha Stewart's kitchen is monopolized by copper pots and pans is no coincidence — the lifestyle maven has turned collecting copper cookware into an art form. If you were to peek into her Bedford kitchen, you would be spellbound by the sheer breadth of antique pieces she has painstakingly collected over the years.

If you follow Stewart's footsteps and find yourself falling in love with the quaint charms of copper cookware, it helps to borrow her best advice for storing your prized finds: Add an overhead rack in your kitchen to turn your pots and pans into a statement design element. While Stewart uses a custom rack for displaying her cherished purchases, you can turn yours into a weekend DIY project. Start by getting a copper pipe cut to your desired length at the hardware store and then thread it through pad eye hooks that can be drilled into the ceiling to hold the rack up securely.

You can also carry forward the same notes of metallic warmth through the rest of your kitchen. Pop some dried flowers into a vintage copper pitcher or borrow from Stewart's playbook by allowing a decorative copper kettle to assume a permanent spot on the stove. For finishing touches, add copper kitchen hardware to create a look that is cohesive, but never matchy-matchy.

Once you have made yourself a batch of Martha Stewart's favorite iced tea, you'll want to find a cozy spot to savor every sip. But instead of sinking into a pristine set of upholstered chairs, the culinary icon dares you to eschew the polished lacquer in favor of wooden stools dotted around the breakfast nook.

In an interview with Frederic Magazine, Stewart emphasized that she isn't sold on the idea of large upholstered chairs dominating the kitchen. Instead, you'll find that wooden stools have won her vote of approval. For starters, they are low-maintenance and easy to wipe down. But this isn't just a question of practicality. A weathered vintage stool has a lived-in, storied feel. 

Beyond serving as a portable seating option, a wooden stool can also double up as a handy side table for displaying your favorite finds from the flea market. When not in use, stools can also offer additional workspace — whether used as a resting spot for gardening shears or for stacking tea towels and soft linens.

Becoming the first self-made female billionaire in American history is no mean feat, and there are several interesting facts about Martha Stewart you should know. One is that, from a design perspective, she is a firm believer in seamlessly mixing modern and vintage design sensibilities.

While these two schools of thought might appear incompatible on paper, there are many clever ways to merge modern and vintage elements in your kitchen. Inside Stewart's farmhouse kitchen in New York, you'll find a restaurant-grade cappuccino maker assuming pride of place in a designated espresso nook. But there are plenty of nostalgic flourishes that will charm as well, from the old school brackets holding up open shelves to the pristine mortar and pestles on display that she uses for grinding her herbs and spices.

For those who care to flip back through the pages of history, there is also plenty of inspiration to be found in Stewart's first published book, "Entertaining." Alongside her signature rack of copper pots, the budding culinary enthusiast also had an array of woven baskets suspended from the ceiling. She recommends hanging yours with S-shaped hooks from any beams to invite some 1980s flair to the space.

Despite being known as a traditionalist, Martha Stewart is never afraid of flexing her design muscles with experimental choices, such as the abundance of black on the cabinetry and woodwork in her farm kitchen. For offsetting the moody hue, Stewart leaned on a time-tested finishing trick that connoisseurs of the classic country style always love: brass knobs and drawer pulls.

Part of the charm of using brass for kitchen hardware is the patina that the material develops over time as oxygen interacts with the metal. Far from being a design defect, this lived-in look is often favored for the character that it can infuse into a sterile space. If you are looking to design the retro kitchen of your dreams, brushed nickel also serves as an expert-approved choice for drawer and cabinet handles.

When you feel like your brass knobs are crossing the line from gracefully aged to tarnished, some handy measures can revive your hardware. Simply unscrew the knobs from the doors and buff the surface with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Once rinsed and dried adequately to prevent rust, screw the knobs back in place to make your kitchen look as good as new again.

A lot has changed over the years, but what hasn't changed is Martha Stewart's best kitchen organization hack: zoning. Within her kitchens, you will always find that her workspace generally houses a wall of stoves, a seating area, and a wash-up area. A closer look at the latter will reveal her eye for bringing together seemingly disparate design elements into a cohesive whole. Case in point: The antique oak plate rack above the sink in her farm kitchen that she accessorized with copper plates.

While copper pots generally assume pride of place in the culinary icon's kitchen, Stewart likes to show her antique plates some love as well. Her choice of an antique oak plate rack above the sink makes for a masterstroke: part storage essential, part decorative goldmine. To ensure that the noir hues of the wood don't overpower the kitchen, she opted for the warm glow of copper. As Jennifer Ebert, Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens, explains, "The shimmery quality of the copper helps to bounce light around the room creating a warmer feel."

Stewart's copper collection has been painstakingly acquired over the years. If you are looking to kickstart your own lineup of charger plates, it helps to frequent antique shops, yard sales, and flea markets for hidden gems.

In Martha Stewart's world, there is no dearth of ways to keep the nostalgia alive. If you are hoping to borrow a leaf from her book and bring some vintage flair to your kitchen, Stewart recommends adding crown molding to shaker-style cabinets. But perhaps you'd like to maximize the functionality of your space? For this, she suggests investing in a freestanding hutch. "Putting this classic piece of furniture in your kitchen adds an abundance of old-world charm," Stewart stated in a YouTube video.

Having first gained popularity in the 18th century, the classic hutch offered a mix of cabinets, open shelves, and glass doors for storing as well as displaying glassware and china. If you are planning to design a rustic-style kitchen, opt for weathered wood with a distressed finish.

However, classic hutches can be just as easily integrated into modern kitchens. Stewart's preference leans towards clean whites and sleek lines for making the most of this storage heavyweight. From cookbooks to a bowl of citrus fruits, anything can be stylishly displayed in a hutch. As a finishing flourish, you can tuck some candles or dried foliage between your prized china to make this space come alive.

Martha Stewart is no slouch when it comes to optimizing dead space with strategic shelving. Her East Hampton kitchen featured creative T-shaped shelves that opened up additional storage above the refrigerators. This wide canvas can be used for storing a diverse array of items from cookbooks to ceramics. Look closer at Stewart's kitchen decor, and you'll find another intelligent vehicle for grouping similar items together: vintage-style pitchers.

Using crocks for storing ladles together is not exactly rocket science — there is a good chance that you are doing it right now, as are your neighbors and your grandma. But Stewart brings her signature warmth to her kitchens by eschewing modern fluted utensil holders to instead revive the forgotten charms of farmhouse pitchers.

There are multiple ways to style these pitchers to infuse a touch of cottage-core romanticism to your kitchen. Use your pitcher as a holder for spatulas, ladles, and whisks. Or liven up a side table by tossing in some fresh blooms during intimate gatherings. If you chance upon a vintage glass pitcher at a flea market, bring it home for housing a succulent terrarium — the perfect centerpiece for your next summer spread.

If you have been sleeping on the design potential of rolling pins, Martha Stewart would like you to reconsider. Generally thought of as a functional item rather than an aesthetic choice, rolling pins can help you merge these two worlds in a unique backsplash display.

When designing her Westport kitchen studio, Stewart was faced with the dual dilemma of deciding how to decorate the wall above her AGA cooker and finding a resting spot for her antique rolling pins. So, she did both, creating a pine frame with beadboard inside that was painted to match the kitchen walls. Tiny dowels were attached to each peg to ensure that pins wouldn't roll away. This design element continued to find favor in her kitchen decor for many years. On the sets of "The Martha Stewart Show," it was easy to spot an army of vintage rolling pins neatly stacked on the beadboard backsplash. For a rustic touch, you can also choose to secure an old rolling pin on a lower cabinet to serve as a holder for tea towels.

When giving her Bedford kitchen a contemporary makeover, Martha Stewart opted for an effortless blend of modern and traditional. This delicate balance comes into play on the soapstone island that is outfitted with old-school brass spouts.

Chosen to coordinate with the brass hardware on the cabinetry, Stewart opted for two single spout faucets: one on the kitchen island and another underneath her copper plate rack. The black wheel control serves as the standout element of this throwback design. On The Martha Blog, she praised how the color blends in seamlessly with the soapstone counters, while the design pays homage to industrial controls from the 1900s.

For maintaining the luster of this investment, you'll want to keep some golden rules in mind. Commercial cleaning products laden with chemicals are a complete no-no. Instead, you'll want to gently wipe down your faucets every night with a micro-fiber cloth to prevent the appearance of water spots and stains. A weekly bath with mild soapy water is sufficient without impacting its natural patina.

If there is one hack that cramped kitchens will always appreciate, it is the addition of portable storage. Kitchen trolleys score brownie points here — easy to wheel in when needed during large gatherings around the holidays and just as easily relegated to long-term storage once done. Martha Stewart agrees, but, of course, she isn't wheeling in just any restaurant cart off the rack. 

"I like using restaurant rolling carts topped with marble. I have three, and they're useful for moving around heavy equipment," she told Country Living. Beyond just opening up storage possibilities, Stewart uses her carts as portable islands, which probably comes in handy when she is hosting 200 people for Christmas. 

If you are looking to add one to your kitchen on a budget, there are some easy workarounds to explore. Marble-effect paper can transform the butcher block top of a humble kitchen cart. You can also opt for a kitchen cart from IKEA and swap the top for marble. Add in a vintage brass holder on the side for tea towels, and your kitchen is guaranteed to look like a snapshot from a magazine spread.